


A Little Different and a Little Brighter

by anythingisanything



Category: Campaign: Fantasy High (Dimension 20) - Fandom, Dimension 20 (Web Series), Dimension 20: Fantasy High, Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Fantasy High
Genre: Canon Compliant, Character Development, Cute helping friendship, Daddy Issues, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not Season/Series 02 Compliant, What I wish happened, just adorable
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-02-08 03:40:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21469462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anythingisanything/pseuds/anythingisanything
Summary: Riz told himself when he went after Fabian that he was just worried about him going off on his own, after all, when Riz himself was alone last time he was taken by a nightmare force that was born of his own lies, but he didn’t want to think about that right now. Of course he would be worried about his friend, his best friend, so why wouldn’t he follow?What I wish happened during the last live-session of Dimension 20 if Riz rolled higher than Fabian on his stealth to follow him to the crow's keep.
Relationships: Riz Gukgak/Fabian Aramais Seacaster
Comments: 4
Kudos: 132





	A Little Different and a Little Brighter

It was a cool, cloudless night on the Leviathan, the lapping of the waves upon the sides of the massive structure were soothing to Fabian as he stealthed through the city, familiar to him in a way that felt ingrained in his bones. The slight swaying of the structure gave him advantage on athletic rolls as he deftly bounded in and out of the shadows, hopping off barrels to grab hanging pipes which he used to propel himself forward, past groups of rowdy drunken pirates on his way to the crow’s keep. 

After he stopped to catch his breath on a rooftop, Fabian narrowly dodging a few stray bullets that whizzed through the air from a group arguing loudly in dwarven that passed below him. He watched them walk by and rolled his eyes at the antics, thinking how no one in his party would do something so foolish out of combat, and checked that the sword of the Seacaster’s was still by his side. He patted his side, satisfied when he felt the hilt of his prized weapon. 

The salty ocean breeze blew through his hair and he pushed it out of the way of his good eye, breathing in deeply the smell that reminded him of his father and surveyed his surroundings, choosing his next target point. He ran to the edge of the rooftop, vaulting over the side to catch onto the next building, continuing on to the crow’s nest. He did not however, notice a small goblin boy following not far behind him, keeping watch. 

Riz told himself when he went after Fabian that he was just worried about him going off on his own, after all, when Riz himself was alone last time he was taken by a nightmare force that was born of his own lies, but he didn’t want to think about that right now. Of course he would be worried about his friend, his best friend, so why wouldn’t he follow? He knew Fabian could take care of himself, but who wouldn’t want backup if something went wrong? So he silently followed when he saw Fabian break off from the group, making sure the other boy didn’t see him. 

Fig tried to go for Riz’s arm to keep everyone in the same place so they were all safe, but Adaine caught her hand before she could get to Riz, shaking her head slightly. Riz made a mental note to thank Adaine for that later. She could tell how on edge he had been since the mirror incident and even though they hadn’t spoken about it out loud, she knew he needed a little space to do his own thing for a bit. She trusted him, and he knew that. Adaine and Fig both watched the two boys race through the night, one a little more graceful compared to the others more scrappy nature, before walking inside with the rest of their group. 

Riz rolled poorly on his athletics, so he had to be a little more scrambly than his counterpart but he kept pace thanks to his stealth through the shadows. He stayed a little bit behind of course so that he could give his friend space, but was close enough that he could smell Fabian on the wind and keep track of him fairly easily. 

He always felt weird about the fact that he could sniff out his friends; it had never really been useful before during their previous adventures so he never said anything about it. He didn’t mean to, but he had always been able to figure out where Fabian was because of how distinct his scent was because let’s face it, he smelled good. Riz subconsciously sniffed at himself, grimacing at the days old smell of his ocean swept clothes. He wanted to smell as good as Fabian did, a little like smoke (thanks to the hash that the hoards of pirates did who lived in the Hangman) and sandalwood, but also clean because Fabian cared about how he presented himself. Riz told himself he knew the scent so well because Fabian was his best friend, just his best friend and besides, having feelings for a fellow party member would make adventuring much too stressful for the small boy. As Riz perched on a nearby rooftop watching Fabian’s surroundings, he tried not to think too much about how pretty Fabian looked when he brushed his hair out of his face or what it would feel like if Riz himself pulled his own hands through his friend's hair. He blushed anyway, shaking his head to try and get rid of the intruding thought with little success. 

Riz watched Fabian survey a party of dwarves below, his heart racing a little as he saw him dodge the bullets that suddenly came from below. The urge to throw himself in front of the projectiles was strong, but he trusted Fabian to not get hit by some dumb stray bullets. 

Riz swiftly followed behind as they both continued to ascend high above the city, silent as the night as he pressed himself into the darkness out of the way Fabian’s peripherals, making sure to look out for individuals who might be lurking like he was. Riz watched as Fabian grabbed rope by rope, effortlessly hoisting himself onto the deck of the crow’s keep. Riz followed suit, climbing the same way when he noticed a chain hanging from the bottom of the keep that resembled a swing, perfectly sized for a goblin.

He perched himself there, swinging slightly while looking out over the ocean and realized just how far up they both were. The sea rocked back and forth, black as the sky. The only way Riz could tell where the sky ended and the ocean began was by the reflection of the moon bouncing off the waves. He rested his head on his hand, leaning against the chain and listened to the distant music from the city below.

Fabian, of course, had no knowledge that The Ball was right below him. He walked around the deck, chest out and head high, hand on his rapier ready for action. He knew his father had stood up there before him, and he wanted to know what it felt like to be in his shoes. He unsheathed his sword, pretending that there was a surprise assailant behind him, letting out an, “Ah ha!” as he spun around and stabbed forward. Riz rolled his eyes, smiling to himself as he heard the familiar shuffling of Fabian’s boots above him as he shadow-fought.

After a few flourishing movements avoiding the ropes and scraps left behind on the deck, Fabian dropped his arms, breathless, sword at his side. He stood there panting for a moment before letting out a long sigh, sheathing his weapon and plopping himself right above where The Ball himself sat. The pressure of Fabian’s weight shifting caused the chains to dip a little and Riz tightened his grip. As he was just about to pull himself up for fear of falling, Fabian spoke and Riz froze, ears perking up to listen.

“Uh, hello Papa.” Fabian spoke to the wind, immediately feeling foolish but pressed on anyway. It was the principle of the thing, talking to his deceased father in a place they both previously shared memories of. This was important to him.

“As you can see, me and my party members are on the Leviathan…” Fabian looked out onto the water, rolling the words around in his mouth before he spoke allowed again. “I have to commend you on your new abilities, you were always the best at making others do your bidding and now you get to be a top dog, as it were! So ah, kudos to you on that papa.” He paused, listening to the wind for a moment before continuing. Riz quietly let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding, waiting to see if the other boy continued speaking.

“It’s different without you here, but I’m excited to stake my own claim as we are on our way to save the love of my life from prison and then I’ll get my kisses!” He pumped his fist into the air, resulting in the wood creaking and causing Riz to grip even tighter to the ever loosening chains, his knuckles turning a pale green, almost white with how tight he was holding on. Riz continued to listen with bated breath, partially paying attention to Fabian, partially hoping he wouldn’t plummet to his probable death. 

Riz felt his chest tighten when Fabian mentioned Aelwen, as he did every time he heard Fabian talk about “getting his kisses in”. He knew he was jealous, but it was only because if Fabian went off with Aelwen, his friend would be gone and he would have to put up with everyone else around him without Fabian’s dumb antics. No Fabian to go along with his plans, no Fabian to help spring off of in combat, no...Fabian.

The half-elf sighed into the night air, “But, I do wonder if life would be a little different if you were still here. For one thing mama wouldn’t be dating Gilear,” Fabian shuddered thinking about their “courtship”. Even though Gilear was segregated to the garage, it still was too close to home for him to ever be fully comfortable.

“I know you’re kicking all kinds of ass down there in hell but,” Fabian hesitated. “...Ah. Never mind. I suppose it’s just heartening to be in the same place that you once were.” He didn’t want to show weakness, but he also wanted to see if being here brought him any closer to his father. He hadn’t spoken to Bill since seeing him after defeating Goldenhoard and he never admitted it out loud, but he missed him. There was a hole in his chest that was left after killing his father, which he never expected. He only expected to feel cool but instead it left him feeling a little emptier than before. After waiting another moment for a potential sign that never came, Fabian began to get up but as he did, he tripped, his foot catching on one side of a chain, causing it to drop through a slit in the boards. This, however, was the very same chain Riz was sitting on, the swing quickly coming undone underneath the goblin.

Riz yelped, surprised as the tension came undone and he frantically tried to wrap himself around the chain so he was able to stay up. Thankfully Riz rolled high on his dex save so he didn’t fall, but he wasn’t able to climb his way up. He was dangling high above a city where if he fell, he doubted anybody would be able to find him beneath all the scrap pieces. He looked down, which immediately was a bad idea, and shot off a small prayer to Yes? before hissing out, “Fabian!”

Fabian, to his credit, did notice the surprised yelp and his name being called coming from the side of the keep, and cautiously leaned down to see under the deck to see a sheepish green-faced boy looking up at him.

“The Ball! What are you doing here?” Fabian grabbed at the chain and effortlessly began to raise the goblin up towards him to safety.

“Uh, I was just-”

Riz considered lying, saying something about seeing a figure follow Fabian as he ran off, but thought back to Baron and thought better of it. He blushed saying, “I was worried that if one of us went off, something bad may happen so I followed you for backup.”

They were now face to face and Fabian couldn’t help but compare the Ball gripping the chain to that of a koala holding on to a high branch. Inches apart, Fabian gave him a bemused look. “You were going to be my backup? Not Fig or Gorgug?”

Riz sulked for a second. “I’m the stealthiest! I’m the one in the shadows, ducking around corners, keeping an eye on everything! Neither of them could do it as well as I can, that’s why I came.”

Fabian dropped Riz and the chain on the deck, eliciting another yelp from the goblin, who quickly got up, dusting off his vest. Riz looked up to see Fabian had sat back down, resting on his elbows with his legs dangling off the side of the tower, staring at Riz intently. Riz tried to gage the look his friend was giving him but was unable to discern it, opting instead to look down at his shoes and kick at a loose board.

“So.” Fabian began, his gaze shifting out over the city. “How much did you hear?”

Riz hesitated, before looking up. “Uh, well,” He scratched behind his long ears. “Everything? I tried not to listen, I swear.”

Fabian let out a small sigh and patted the ground next to him in hopes that the Ball would join him. Riz did so dutifully and shuffled closer to Fabian. Even though Fabian was laying down, Riz was so short that their shoulders were still pressed together as he sat cross-legged, which Riz filed away in his head to think about more later. Fabian didn’t say anything for a long while, the two young adventurers staring out past the keep, but eventually he broke the silence.

“How did you deal with your father being gone? Like, what was it like for you and your mom without him.”

The question surprised Riz, I mean, he was so young when his father had been killed he barely remembered but he could tell his friend was hurting so he tried his best to answer. “Well,” Riz began. “It’s hard for me to say because I don’t really remember him all that well, but…” 

Riz thought back to his childhood, remembering how his mother threw herself into her work after his father disappeared, not coming home until the wee hours of the morning when he was already awake getting ready for school. He was being truthful when he said he didn’t remember much, but in his head he could blearily see his mother sitting in the dark of their kitchen, leaning over their dining room table shaking with silent tears, a glass of brown liquid next to her. He learned quickly not to come out of his room at night, wanting to give his mother space that even as a young child he knew she needed. “I know it was extra hard on my mom. But we managed. People always say it gets better with time and even though it’s cheesy, they’re kinda right.” He paused. “I mean, I didn’t kill my father but at least I got to eat the person who did, so that was pretty cathartic.” He snorted, trying to fill the silence that he wasn’t used to having with Fabian. Fabian cracked a smile which made Riz’s shoulders fall, a little less tense than a moment ago and he pushed them closer together. 

It had only been a few months since the end of freshman year, and Fabian still wasn’t quite used to his father not being around. Sometimes he thought he could hear his boisterous laughter echoing through the rooms of the Hangman, becoming excited only to remember that his father wasn’t there, and wouldn’t be coming home. His home was large and now felt even larger now that Bill’s presence was gone. He loved his mother and Cathilda of course, but having a large male presence there made him feel a little more whole like he could take on more. Now that it was just him and Gilear, he had been having trouble making himself feel as big as his father had. Fabian scowled at the thought of Gilear, eliciting a laugh from Riz. “Are you thinking about Gilear and your mom again?”

Fabian fully laid down with a thump and a sigh, throwing his arm over his face. “Don’t remind me of my mother being involved with that man. It’s bad enough my papa’s gone, but for her to be with Gilear of all people...I just-ugh.” 

Riz watched his friend for a moment before asking, “...Did that help at all? What I said?” 

At this, Fabian took his arm from his face, rolling his head to look at Riz. Fabian searched Riz’s face for something that he may not have said aloud, seeing only a hopeful friend with bright eyes lit by the moonlight. Fabian’s breath caught a little and he didn’t know why. He watched Riz constantly, always making sure his friend was fine out of the corner of his eye because of course he wouldn’t want to say that Riz was his best friend out loud, god forbid anyone hear him say so. He noticed Riz’s little tics, like when he was particularly stressed he would twist the ends of his ears around his fingers, pulling them rhythmically. Fabian guessed this made him feel better and always thought it was funny, wishing for a fleeting moment at times if Riz would ever let him pull at his long ears. He watched Riz and was rarely surprised by him but something about this moment felt different. Both of them had lost their fathers in different ways; ‘the lost dad’s club’ as Riz like to joke. Fabian never talked about it with anyone else, how much he missed Bill and what little was left behind because the other’s wouldn’t understand. Not like Riz did. Fig had a multitude of fathers and now that Gorgug knew his birth parents there was nothing left for them to worry about in the parental department. But Riz and Fabian were in the same boat, like they had been from day one. 

Fabian realized he had been looking at Riz for a little too long, blushing as he looked away before saying, “Yeah. It helped. I guess I just have to wait a little while longer until it feels normal again.” Fabian was only mostly joking at this point. 

“I don’t think it has to feel normal.” Riz responded, looking up at the night sky. Fabian looked quizzically at Riz, taken aback that he had responded so quickly and with such fervor. “It’s just something else in life that we have to deal with, as adventurers. Our lives are constantly filled with danger and uncertainty. So it doesn’t have to feel normal to not have a father figure around, but I think it just means we have to figure out a way to make them feel proud.” Riz looked over at Fabian and smiled, his fangs glinting in the moonlight. Riz had thought a lot about this in the last couple of months after learning of how his dad actually died. It was something that he had slowly been coming to terms with and wanted to share what he knew was true with his friend. Fabian thought for a fleeting moment that he had never seen something so courageous and beautiful as Riz Gukgak. 

“Plus our moms are so fucking cool. And if it means anything, I think your dad would be really proud of you to know you’re here. Maybe not so excited that you’re adventuring for kisses and not for treasure, but whatever.” Riz laughed, pushing Fabian playfully and in a flash, Fabian grabbed Riz’s hand and pulled Riz down so he could kiss him on the cheek. Riz fumbled, obviously not expecting to be pulled with such force so Fabian missed his intended target, instead getting close enough to Riz’s mouth that it made Riz stop breathing. Fabian pulled away just as quickly as he leaned in, clearing his throat while getting up. Riz hadn’t moved, still shocked at what happened, but was snapped out of it by Fabian’s hand in front of his face. He looked up to see the much taller creature looking down at him, offering his hand to help him up. Riz could see the blush creeping onto Fabian’s face as they looked at each other and didn’t want to think about what his own face looked like. He took the offer, pulling himself up with the help of his friend(?). Fabian coughed, breaking the silence that had overtaken them. “Uh, thanks. For what you said. And sorry. For-” 

He was cut off by the smaller boy, who waved his hands between them trying to seem blasé, but probably (definitely) came off as frantic. “No don’t apologize, it’s fine. I-I didn’t mind.” Riz hesitated. “It was-uh. Nice.” Riz’s face hurt with how hard he was blushing, turning a deep turquoise. He tugged on the end of his ears like always did when he was nervous. Seeing the familiar trait made Fabian feel better, so he lightly punched Riz’s arm and said “Cool.”

The boys stood there in silence for a second, both staring at the ground before Fabian blurted, “Last one back has to help Gilear get coffee in the morning!” And before Riz could react, Fabian grabbed hold of a rope and swung off of the crow’s keep flying through the air, his face split into a wide smile. Riz ran to the side of the keep to lean and yell, “No fair!” as he too took hold of a rope and followed Fabian down. Riz’s peeling laughter filled Fabian’s ears as the two boys bounded through the dark, their hearts beating fast with exertion and something else. As Fabian flew through the night, Riz hot on his heels, he felt himself become a little more whole, the void in his chest filling with something a little different and a little brighter.

**Author's Note:**

> I put on my Tumblr (https://butchnbitch.tumblr.com) that I wanted someone to write this but instead of waiting I wrote it instead because I'm impatient.   
This is the first fic I've written and published since I think I was 13 so more than 11 years ago? This fandom just makes me feel a lot. 
> 
> Please feel free to tell me what you think! I may or may not write more, just depends on what I'm feelin'. Thanks for reading!


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